Two-way hingeless ventilator

ABSTRACT

The ventilator has a closure member swingable against one side of a wall at opposite sides of an opening therein and held in selected position by the force exerted by a spring rod against the wall&#39;&#39;s opposite side. Double-bracketed guide members receiving and restricting radial movement of opposite end portions of the rod in guideways between inner and outer fixed brackets and cooperating stops on and limiting relative axial movement of the rod, render the ventilator fail-proof under excessive twisting forces.

United States Patent i if Kelly Sept. 25,1 1973 [541 TWO-WAY HINGELES SVENTILATOR .1 1 Primary Examiner-Meyer Perlin [76] Inventor: Timothy A.Kelly, 755 Virginia Ave, 4"" Mwhlm Salem, Va. I 22 Filed: June 30, 1971[57] ABSTRACT [21] 7 Appl. No.: 158,240 The ventilator has a closuremember swingable against one side of a wall at opposite sides of anopening I j therein and held in selected position by the force ex- CCII.I flags/egg cried by a spring against thq waws opposite side. [58] Fieid2162,18 Double-bracketed guide nlembers receiving and re- 7 I strictingradial "movement of opposite end portions of v gthe rod in guidewaysbetween inner and outer fixed [56] References e '1 bracketsandcooperating stops on and limiting relative UNITED STATES PATENTSaxial movement of the rod, render the ventilator fail 3,358,576v 15;Kelly 98/Z.l8 proof und r excessive i i g o Hierta...

i ii 3,760,707

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In v n10 r Timothy A. Kelly By his Attorney 1 TWO-WAY HINGELESSVENTILATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a hingeless ventilator of thetype disclosed in Kelly et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,102,464 and 3,358,576, aframe fits about an opening in the wall of a truck cab or otherenclosure to be ventilated and has an outturned flange bounding theopening. The ventilators closure member has an inturned peripheralflange fitting in that members closed position about the outturnedflange on the frame. Opening in opposite directions by swinging againstthe frame at either side of the opening, the closure member is heldassembled and in any selected position by a spring rod connected to andswingable with the member and acting against guideways fixed to andinstanding from the frame on the other side of the wall and at oppositeends of the opening. The closure member has its swinging axis on'eitherside of the opening substantially fixed by engagement of a side of itsinturned flange with the corresponding side of the outturned frameflange and the force applied by the spring rod is made substantiallyuniform by forming each guideway of cylindrical side sections eachsubstantially concentric with the opposite swinging axis.

The two-way ventilators of the Kelly et al. U.S. Pat. are intended to beswung manually and, when so swung, operate very effectively. However, insome installations the ventilator is in easy reach of the foot of theoperator with the consequent tendency to move the closure member to thedesired position by kicking the spring rod or a separate handle. In suchcase, not only is the force excessive, but the rod can be twisted sothat one end is on the wrong side of its guideway relative to the thenswinging axis, with resultant jamming and at .least temporary failure ofthe ventilator. It is to a solution of this problem that the presentinvention is particularly directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention isto provide an improved two-way hingeless ventilator in which ends of aspring rod holding a closure member in selected position are so guidedas to render the ventilator fail-proof under excessive twisting forces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtwo-way hingeless ventilator of the type described in the precedingobject, wherein failure of the ventilator under excessive twistingforces is prevented by guiding and radially containing each end of thespring rod in a guideway between inner and outer guide brackets andlimiting axial movement of the rod relative to the guide brackets.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is an inner plan view of a preferredembodiment of the improved two-way hingeless ventilator o the presentinvention; I

FIG. 2 is an inverted end elevational view of the ventilator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alonglines 5-5 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the scale of FIG. 5, takenalong lines 6-6 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I Referring now in detail to the drawings in whichlike reference characters designate like parts, the improved two-wayhingeless ventilator of the present invention is of the same type asthose disclosed in Kelly et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,102,464 and 3,558,576and also designed primarily for application to a cab or other enclosureof a vehicle for directing air into or from the enclosure when thevehicle is moving.

As do the ventilators of the above patents, the improved ventilator ofthis invention has as its main components a frame 1 fixed to an outsidewall 2 of the vehicle cab or other enclosure (not otherwise shown) andbounding a generally rectangular opening 3 in the wall, a closure memberor cover 4 seatable against an outer side of and swingable on the framefor opening and closing the opening, spaced guides 5 fixed to and.instanding from an inner side of the frame at opposite ends of theopening, and a guide rod 6 connected centrally to the closure member andhaving ends riding along the guides for holding the closure memberassembled and in any selected position relative to the frame.

The improved ventilator also resembles the ventilators of the Kelly etal. U.S. Pat. in being openable in two ways or directions by swingingits closure member 4 against the frame 1 at either side of the openingand conveniently making use in its preferred embodiment of side portionsof an outturned or outstanding lip or flange 7 on the frame'about theopening and a surrounding, intumed or instanding peripheral skirt orflange 8 on the closure member for substantially fixing the swingingaxes of the closure member. Further, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,576, thespring rod 6 preferably is releasably connected at the center to thecenter of the closure member 4 by a hook 9 fixed to and instanding fromthe latter and the closure member conveniently is swung by a separateU-shaped handle rather than by the spring rod 10, the handle having legs11 fixed to and instanding from the closure member and straddling thehook and being longitudinally slotted to pass and accommodate flexing ofthe rod.

Similar in its preferred embodiment to the ventilators of the Kelly etal patents in the foregoing respects, the improved ventilator of thepresent invention differs therefrom in having as its spaced rod guides 5a pair of double-bracketed guides or guide members. Each guide member 5is formed of inner and outer guide brackets 12 and 13, respectively,each of which is a generally U-shaped band of substantial width orbreadth, footed, as at 14, at its inner extremities for fixing to theframe 1 and conveniently made by stamping or otherwise bending a sheetmetal strip of the desired width and thickness. Aligned radially of therod 6 and normal to the frame 1, the inner and outer brackets 12 and 13of each guide member 5 are laterally spaced inwardly or inboardly of theframe 1 and together bound inner and outer sides of a generally U-shapedguideway 15 extending uninterruptedly between their feet 14 andreceiving and radially containing the adjoining end portions of the rod.

The guide members 5 are a counterpart or duplicate and spacedlongitudinally of and centered laterally on the frame 1 and the innerand outer guide brackets 12 and 13 of each have preferably as a wholeand at least along their confronting faces or surfaces substantiallycylindrically, oppositely facing or opposite side portions 16 and 17,respectively, each of which is substantially concentric with and swungor struck about the swinging axis of the closure member 4 at theopposite side of the frame. The side portions 16 or 17 of each guidebracket merge at the center in arcuate center or mid-portions,designated as 18 for the innerbrackets and 19 for the outer brackets,which, although of different curvature, suitably are also convex in adirection away from the frame. With the inner and outerbrackets l2 and13 of each guide member so curved and the guideway therebetween ofsubstantial width and substantially uniform depth, the end portions ofthe rod 6 received in the guideways ride on the inner brackets at apressure predetermined by the outward flexure of the rod at the. centertoward the closure member 4 and are limited by the enclosing oroverlying outer brackets.

Open longitudinally of the frame 1 to both receive and pass the endportions of the rod 6, the preferred guideways 15, while of a depth toaccommodate the slight relative angling of the end portions of theflexed rod, are intended otherwise to have a fairly snug sliding fittherewith. To achieve this without binding or undue hindrance of wearfrom metal-to-metal contact, the rod 6 preferably does not directlycontact the inner and outer brackets and, instead, is spaced radiallyfrom the brackets by a bushing or bearing 20, suitably made of NYLATRONor like wear-resistant, anti-friction material, each of the preferredbushings 20 has a stem 21 fitting with the desired snugness in andextending across the adjoining guideway 15, and an enlarged head 22integral with the stem and outside or outboard of and radiallyoverlapping the adjoining inner andouter brackets. Bearing against theconfronting outer edges of the adjoining brackets 12 and 13, preferablythrough an interposed metal washer 23 to minimize grooving anddistribute stresses, each head 22 is held or reatrained againstsubstantial axial movement along the rod 6 on:the inside by the bracketsand the outside by a suitable retainer, such as illustrated snap ring24. In turn, the heads 22 on opposite ends of the rod 6 both locate orposition the bushings 20 and inhibit or prevent substantial axialmovement of the rod relative to the guide members 5.

Substantially restricted or restrained outward radial movement relativeto the inner brackets 12 by the outer brackets 13 and against axialmovement relative to the guide members 5 by the heads 22, the rod6cannot be twisted or canted so as to shift or move either end portionto the wrong side of the adjoining inner bracket, regardless of theforce applied in operating the ventilator. Thus, even the large twistingforce produced by a heavy kick or blow delivered to the handle 10 towardeither end thereof is incapable of jamming the ventilator bycorrespondingly twisting the rod relative to either or both of the guidemembers and the ventilator will remain operative in service short ofactual physical destruction.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there hasbeen provided an improved two-way hingeless ventilator that is proofagainst failure under intentional or accidental misuse. It should beunderstood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merelyexemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to beincluded that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and thescope of the appended claims.

opening, cooperating means on said frame and closure member forsubstantially fixing the swinging axes of said member, a spring rod onan inner side of said frame and extending longitudinally of saidopening, said spring rod intermediate ends thereof being connected toand flexed toward said closure member for swinging therewith and holdingsaid member against said frame, double-bracketed guide members fixed toand instanding from said inner side of said frame at opposite ends ofsaid opening, each guide member including an inner guide bracket onwhich an adjoining end portion of said rod rides and is guided duringswinging of said closure member and acts in holding said closure memberin a selected position, and an outer guide bracket overlying andinwardly of .said frame laterally spaced from said inner'bracket andtherewith bounding inner and outer sides of a guideway, said outer guidemembers radially containing and restricting said'end portions againstsubstantial outward radial movement relative to said inner guidemembers, and means on and projecting radially from said rod andoverlapping and acting axially of said rod against said guide membersfor restricting said rod against substantial axial movement relativethereto, said outer guide members and axially acting means cooperatingfor preventing excessive forces from twisting one end portion of saidrod to a wrong side of the adjoining inner guide member relative to thethen swinging axis.

2. A ventilator according to claim 1, wherein the guide members arecounterpart and substantially centered laterally on the opening,confronting surfaces of the inner and outer guide brackets of each guidemember at opposite sides of the guideway are generally U- shaped, andeach surface has on each side thereof a substantially cylindrical sideportion substantially concentric with an opposite swingingaxis of theclosure member.

3. A ventilator according to claim 2, wherein the guide brackets arebands of substantial width having at opposite extremities thereof feetfixed to the frame, and said bands between said extremities arearcuately convex in a direction away from the frame.

4. A ventilator according to claim 2, wherein the restricting means onthe rod include a bushing on each end portion having a stem received inand extending across the related guideway and a head radiallyoverlapping and acting against confronting surfaces of the adjoiningguide brackets, and retaining means on the rod at opposite sides of thehead from the guide brackets.

5. A ventilator according to claim 4, wherein the guideways areopen-sided axially of the rod, each end portion of the rod extendsthrough the adjoining guideway, and the heads and retaining means areoutside the guide brackets.

6. A ventilator according to claim 5, wherein the bushings are ofwear-resistant anti-friction material, and including washers on the rodand each interposed between a bushing head and the adjoining guidebrackets.

1. A two-way hingeless ventilator for ventilating an enclosure through awall thereof, comprising a frame fixable to said wall and bounding anopening therethrough, a closure member on an outer side of said frameand alternately swingable thereagainst at opposite sides of said openingfor opening and closing said opening, cooperating means on said frameand closure member for substantially fixing the swinging axes of saidmember, a spring rod on an inner side of said frame and extendinglongitudinally of said opening, said spring rod intermediate endsthereof being connected to and flexed toward said closure member forswinging therewith and holding said member against said frame,doublebracketed guide members fixed to and instanding from said innerside of said frame at opposite ends of said opening, each guide memberincluding an inner guide bracket on which an adjoining end portion ofsaid rod rides and is guided during swinging of said closure member andacts in holding said closure member in a selected position, and an outerguide bracket overlying and inwardly of said frame laterally spaced fromsaid inner bracket and therewith bounding inner and outer sides of aguideway, said outer guide members radially containing and restrictingsaid end portions against substantial outward radial movement relativeto said inner guide members, and means on and projecting radially fromsaid rod and overlapping and acting axially of said rod against saidguide members for restricting said rod against substantial axialmovement relative thereto, said outer guide members and axially actingmeans cooperating for preventing excessive forces from twisting one endportion of said rod to a wrong side of the adjoining inner guide memberrelative to the then swinging axis.
 2. A ventilator according to claim1, wherein the guide members are counterpart and substantially centeredlaterally on the opening, confronting surfaces of the inner and outerguide brackets of each guide member at opposite sides of the guidewayare generally U-shaped, and each surface has on each side thereof asubstantially cylindrical side portion substantially concentric with anopposite swinging axis of the closure member.
 3. A ventilator accordingto claim 2, wherein the guide brackets are bands of substantial widthhaving at opposite extremities thereof feet fixed to the frame, and saidbands between said extremities are arcuately convex in a direction awayfrom the frame.
 4. A ventilator according to claim 2, wherein therestricting means on the rod include a bushing on each end portionhaving a stem received in and extending across the related guideway anda head radially overlapping and acting against confronting surfaces ofthe adjoining guide brackets, and retaining means on the rod at oppositesides of the head from the guide brackets.
 5. A ventilator according toclaim 4, wherein the guideways are open-sided axially of the rod, eachend portion of the rod extends through the adjoining guideway, and theheads and retaining means are outside the guide brackets.
 6. Aventilator according to claim 5, wherein the bushings are ofwear-resistant anti-friction material, and including washers on the rodand each interposed between a bushing head and the adjoining guidebrackets.